Phototherapy is well known and practiced for a very long time. For instance, short wavelengths light were used to treat skin infection, such as lupus vulgaris; and red light was used (˜1900) to treat smallpox lesions. Today, light is used to treat various diseases and conditions, including pain management, hair growth, and skin conditions (e.g. psoriasis, acne, acne vulgaris, eczema, neonatal jaundice, atopic dermatitis, etc.). For each therapy, it is costumed to use a different type of light, e.g. laser, red light, near-infrared and ultraviolet lights, etc. Certain phototherapy treatments can be performed at home, but others, which uses high-power or harmful rays (e.g. UV) are typically performed by well trained professionals, which expose only the treated skin area to the rays and avoid exposure of healthy skin to such rays.
Magnetic energy is also widely used for therapeutic and restorative treatments to various inner organs as well as to the skin. For instance, magnetic fields have been shown to improve blood flow and to help in skin renewal.
However, the known devices utilizing light and magnetic energies for skin therapy suffer from significant structural and functional shortcomings. For instance, certain devices either emits only but not electromagnetic field (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,883), or emits only electromagnetic field but not light (U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,900).
Other known devices which emit both light and electromagnetic field have their own disadvantages. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,903 discloses an electromagnetic device that generates plasma to simultaneously discharge light and magnetic energy pulses for energy promotion and pain relief. However, this device lacks the control of the emitted energy and the ability to direct it to specific areas over the skin. WO 2004/096343 provides a facial mask which produces pulsed light and electromagnetic field in a controlled manner for therapy.